2 December - Bread and Fruit

2nd December 2021

Micah 5:1-5a
5 Marshal your troops now, city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel’s ruler on the cheek with a rod. 2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” 3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. 4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. 5 And he will be our peace when the Assyrians invade our land and march through our fortresses.

Micah 5:1-5a

5 Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
on the cheek with a rod.

2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
    from ancient times.”

3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned
until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.

4 He will stand and shepherd his flock
    in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
    will reach to the ends of the earth.

5 And he will be our peace
when the Assyrians invade our land
and march through our fortresses.

Bread and Fruit

The word Ephrathah – the old name for Bethlehem - means “Fruitfulness”, and the word Bethlehem means “House of Bread”, the implication being that the town would provide those who dwelt within it an abundance of all they needed to thrive. (Or at least that was the hope of those who chose the names!).

Little did the founders realise that out of this little town would come the Bread of Life, the Lord Jesus. It is out of His abundant blessing, and only this, that you and I can ever hope to bear fruit.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

As we go into the day ahead, we would do well to remember that whatever fruit of the spirit we might hope to bear today, it can only come from the Bread of Life, who gives life to the world.

Ken Knowles